


Do Over

by CatherineWinner



Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Guilt, Hurt, M/M, Missing Scene, Misunderstandings, unbetaed because I real lazy and smashed this out between working so here we go folks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 13:15:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29207955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatherineWinner/pseuds/CatherineWinner
Summary: There was only one way out, he knew it, and hated it. The old shame and embarrassment was climbing back up his throat. He felt like was about to jump off a cliff.TK was worth it, Carlos jumped.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Comments: 26
Kudos: 170





	Do Over

**Author's Note:**

> It's been done a 100x but here's my take.

"You don't understand." Carlos said and could hear the desperation in his own voice. It sounded flat but he couldn't find words to truly explain nor did he even want to have this discussion.

Carlos could feel his desperation mingling with dread, he did not want to have this conversation. 

He couldn't lose TK again.

"I get that so you need to explain it." TK threw his hands into the air from his seated position.

"My parents... are... a lot. Like a lot a lot." Carlos stammered out, he couldn't figure out what to do with his hands. He slipped them into his pockets and clenched his fingers together.

"And what, my dad isn't? You've seen him and all of his eccentricities." Carlos hated the hurt in TK's voice, hated that he had put it there and hated ever second of this nightmare.

There was only one way out, he knew it, and hated it. The old shame and embarrassment was climbing back up his throat. He felt like was about to jump off a cliff.

TK was worth it, Carlos jumped.

"Not like that... I dated someone for 3 weeks and brought them to a friend's birthday where my family was. Within the first 20 minutes they... had asked him about both marriage, kids, and when we were going to be next coming over to get to know the whole family. One of my sister's asked him about STDs while my other got his background report while he was standing in front of them. Let's just say that date ended pretty quick and my text messages never got an answer."

"This is different and you know that." TK offered with a hint of compassion. 

"Is it? I'm not so sure." Carlos spat out instantly. 

TK's shoulder's went back and Carlos knew he had made a mistake.

"What does that mean?" TK challenged, stepping toward Carlos, betrayal evident in his eyes. "You think I'm going to walk away from you because your parents are pushy?"

Carlos felt the panic and dread punch him in the stomach. This was not what he wanted, this was exactly what he had wanted to prevent. He clenched his fists and felt the layer of sweat coating his skin.

"I think I should take you home and we should talk about this later." He turned away, snatched his coat and stepped toward the door.

"No, I think we should talk about this now! I don't understand where this is coming from. You've literally met both of my parents and everyone in my life." TK demanded, his voice raising slightly.

"TK..." Carlos begged softly, turning back but not allowing his eyes to meet TK's gaze.

"No, I want to know and I deserve to know. Why am I just your friend?" TK's voice broke on the last word, it became a desperate gasp and Carlos felt his defenses shatter.

"Because!" Carlos shouted, throwing his jacket to the ground and finally meeting TK's eyes. "Because, I'd rather you be just my friend then nothing. I scared you away once and it's a miracle in itself that I didn't lose you forever. The moment you walked out of my door was crippling to me, it took me months to trust that you actually wanted to be in the same room with me. I couldn't let my parents risk that for me." He didn't care if it was too much anymore, he needed to say it. 

"That's not fair. We've moved past that and you know what this relationship means to me. What you mean to me!" TK shouted back, easily matching Carlos's intensity. 

"Have we?! We've moved past that?!" Carlos took a step closer, bizarrely enough he wanted to be in TK's space, even while he wanted to scream and cry, he wanted to be near this man. "Then why am I afraid to tell you that I love you? I see your eyes shifting at times. I know that this is still a lot for you and how much it scares you. I never want to push you, I never want you to leave. I never want you to feel that trapped or scared again. I'm scared to tell you that you literally make my life worth living because I don't want you to feel that you have to stick around. I'm scared to tell you that I would live and die for you because I still remember the feeling of that door closing and I...." Carlos choked on tears and sobs that he didn't realize were rolling down his face. "I can't lose you."

TK was in his space within seconds, they were wrapped in each other a second after that. TK buried his face in Carlo's neck and pressed a long kiss to the tender skin.

They held each other as Carlo's body wracked with sobs then still longer as it faded into small gasps. Carlos tried to move away a time or two yet TK held on with a tightening grasp.

"I have." TK muttered as Carlo's breathing evened out.

"What?" Carlos mumbled, his voice horse from the sobs.

"I have moved past my mistakes, and I don't plan on making them twice. I'm a fuck up at times, but I always learn." TK offered sincerely even as he lessened his hold on the other man and took a step back.

"I'm sorry-" Carlos started, embarrassment laced in his voice.

"No," TK cut him off, "You don't apologize. I made a mess of this and you're just trying to be take care of yourself."

"I shouldn't have told my parents-"

"You shouldn't have had to be in pain without your partner knowing. You're the love of my life..." TK took a deep breath, "And I hurt you the same way I was hurt and I didn't realize it. The worst part is I never apologized or took ownership. I am sorry for what I did to you. I'm sorry I didn't see what I see now and I'm sorry I made you doubt us for even a moment."

TK moved around the small apartment, collecting his phone and keys then headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Carlos hated the desperation in his voice, he couldn't stop the urgency as he followed TK to the door and watched him walk through. "Are we breaking up?"

TK turned on his door step and gave a small smile, his eyes shining with controlled tears. "I'm going home to get my stuff and then I'm spending the rest of the weekend with you making it up to you. Then you're going to make me breakfast and we're going to watch shit TV."

Carlos felt his grief evaporate, he reached forward and pulled TK into a long kiss.

They pulled apart gasping but smiling. 

"Then get out of here." Carlos playful nudged him.

"Be right back." TK threw a wink and blew a kiss.

-

TK returned an hour later, bag in hand, eager to finish what they had started. He swung open the door and blinked in surprise as a meal laid out for him, candle light included,

"Do over?" Carlos offered with a hesitant smile.

TK shut the door and dropped his bag, "With you? Any day!" He stopped when he got closer to the table, noticing that there were four places set. "But what are those-"

Carlos cut him off, "My parents will be here in 20. They want to meet the man who helps me to be brave again."

TK blinked in surprised then grinned so hard Carlos was sure he'd be blinded by that smile for the rest of his life. "Then I've got 15mins to make this all up to you." He tore off his jacket, followed quickly by his shirt as he walked backwards to Carlo's room, eyes fixed on him the whole time. "Better hurry up, I've got a lot to apologize for."

Carols followed him, eagerly, exhilaration that they did in fact, finally completely, wholly understand each other.

**Author's Note:**

> I honestly just hope it's not that Carlos hasn't come out to his family. I think he deserves a better and more complex storyline and so here's my attempt. Let me know what you think!


End file.
